1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to communication services, and specifically, to a method for providing communication services from retail business locations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Communication service providers offer a variety of communication services to their customers. These services are provided to customers by a variety of different methods according to the type of service subscribed to by a customer. The customers in turn pay for the services by a variety of different methods. For example, in some cases, customers pay an access fee for a limited amount of service usage. In other cases, customers pay both an access fee and a service charge based on the amount of service usage. In still yet other examples, access equipment is also provided to the customer to permit the customer to access and use the communication service. The access equipment is typically sold, rented, or provided to the customer for free along with a service subscription.
The relationship between an Internet service provider (“ISP”) and its customers illustrates one example of a communication service provider providing a communication service to customers. In this case, customers of the ISP pay a monthly fee for services such as email, web hosting and access to the World Wide Web. Another example is illustrated by the relationship between a cable television service provider and its customers. Here, customers subscribing to the cable service pay a monthly charge for a specific number of cable channels. Additional services such as pay-per-view events may also be purchased from the service provider for an additional charge. To receive the pay-per-view event, the customer must rent or buy a cable box from the service provider. The cable box connects to the customer's television and permits viewing of the pay-per-view event. In another example, a customer subscribing to a dish network service may desire to purchase a pay-per-view event. In this case, no additional equipment is required as the pay-per-view event is received over a satellite dish and dish network box already owned or rented by the customer. The customer is, however, charged an additional fee for receiving the event.
Unfortunately, the flexibility by which these services are provided is limited because customers must contract directly with each individual service provider for access to that service provider's service. Furthermore, services such as pay-per-view are typically not offered unless the customer also subscribes to the underlying cable service. In the case of the Internet access, the customer must also have access to a computer or other device that permits access to the Internet service. Finally, these services are not offered to customers on a temporary basis. Customers must enter service contracts that are typically not less than a month.